Phonograph



1938- H. F. M. GRAMANN 2,128,645

PHONOG'RAPH l8, 2 sheets sh\ee1I l INVENTOR Heme/cw f-TMAx GRAMAA A/ AORNEY Patented Aug. 30, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE signor toThomas A. Edison,

Incorporated,

West Orange, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 18,1933, Serial No. 680,908

3 Claims.

This invention relates to 'phonographs and more particularly tophonographs of the business type, commonly called dictating machines.Such phonographs or dictating machines when designed for use by adictator are normally equipped with a suitable reproducing means as wellas the usual recording means. By the inclusion of this reproducingmeans, it is possible for the user of such-a machine-to hear all, or aportion of, the material which'has been recorded upon therecord tabletat any time. It has been common practice to provide a sound box whichmay be conditioned 'for either recording or reproducing by themanipulation of a lever conveniently placed on the machine. This levermay havetwo or more positions in one of which the sound box isconditioned for recording and in another of which the sound box isconditioned for reproduc- The use of the reproducing mechanism may berequired when a dictator has been interrupted in the course ofdictation. After such an interruption he may shift thecontrol lever to aneutral position in which the styli of the sound box do not coact withthe'record, move the sound box backwardly alongzthe record as far asnecessary, and then move the control lever into the reproducing positionwherein matter previously recorded will be reproduced as the sound boxmoves forward up to the position which it occupied prior to the backwardmovement. When he has reached the end of the recorded matter :and isagain ready to dictate, it is necessary that he again manipulate thecontrol lever to recondition the sound box for recording, whereupon hemay proceed with his dictation.

If it is desired to repeat only the last few words or portion of asentence in order to pick up the train of thought, this may usually bedone by shifting the control lever directly from recording position toreproducing position Without moving the sound box backwardly along therecord. Reproduction of the last few words under such circumstances isobtained when the sound box is advanced over the record tablet by reasonof the fact that the reproducing stylus in the sound box is offset ashort distance behind the recording stylus, usually of the order of .1".When the control mechanism therefore is shifted from recording toreproducing position without movement of the sound box relative to therecord tablet, the reproducing stylus will engage the record tablet at apoint several grooves behind the recording stylus so that as the soundbox .iS advanced along the record tablet the matter recorded in theseseveral grooves'will be reproduced. This forms a convenient method ofpicking up the train of thought and obviously requires less manipulationthan is necessary if the sound box proper is moved backwardly. Howeverwhen the recorded matter of the last few grooves referred to has beenreproduced it is again necessary to shift'the control lever from thereproducing into the recording position before it is possible to proceedwith dictation.

The manipulation required both prior to and subsequent to a reproductionof dictated matter is undesirable in such'machines. Manipulations ofthis sort do not rapidly become automatic or instinctive withthe userandthey therefore have a tendency to distract'and to break into theconcentration normally required in dictation; For this reason it isdesirable'to make all operations automatic to as great an extent aspossible.

The primary object of my invention therefore is to provide-a businessphonograph having a simple and improved means'by-which thephonograph maybe quickly and easily shifted from recording position into reproducingposition to subsequently repeat a portion of previously dictated matter.

Another object of my-invention'is to provide a construction by which theabove'means may be readily controlled from a point remote from thephonograph. i

*A further object of my invention is'toprovide means for automaticallyrestoring the sound box to recording position "after the reproduction ofthe matter last dictated on the record tablet.

Further objects and features of my invention will be disclosed in thefollowing specification and appended claims.

of the phonograph of Fig. 1 and includes a sche- .matic diagram of theelectrical circuit for actuatingand controlling the r'epeatingmechanism;Fig.3 is an elevational view,,partly in section,

,of the carriage and :sound box of the phonograph of Fig. 1, ..as seenfrom the right;

Fig. .4is abottomplan view of the mechanism of Fig.3;

Fig. .5,is. a fragmentary view of the sound box and mechanism on thecarriage when the sound box has been conditioned for reproducing;

Fig. 6 is a rear elevational view, partly broken away, of the carriage;and

Fig. 7 is a side view of the electro-magnet for actuating the repeatingmechanism.

Referring to the drawings, the phonograph comprises a mandrel Isupported on a shaft 2 journaled in a standard 3 projecting from a base5. The mandrel is adapted to rotatably support a record tablet A. Themandrel driving means such as a motor (not shown) is connected to themandrel through a belt 8 passing over a pulley 5. A suitable clutchmechanism 9l0 is provided for connecting or disconnecting the mandrelshaft and pulley 5. The base 4 carries two other standards I! and Ilocated near opposite ends of the base. These standards support a pairof guide rods l'll8 on which a carriage I3 is slidably mounted. Theguide rods are supported in the standards by suitable means to preventlongitudinal movement thereof while permitting free rotation. A feedscrew 26 is supported on a pair of pivots 20' mounted in the standards Iand l. Rotation is imparted to the feed screw by a gear wheel 22 mountedon the mandrel shaft and meshing with a gear wheel 23 secured on thefeed screw 26. A feed nut 2!, mounted on a bracket 85 pivoted on a pin85' in the carriage I3, is biased into engagement with the feed screw 26by a coil spring 86 embracing a pin 81 which is threaded into the rearportion of the arm I3.

A sound box and the control mechanism therefor are mounted in thecarriage and are well known in the art, being substantially the same asthose described in detail in U. S. Patent No. 1,420,316, to N. H.Holland, entitled Phonographs and issued June 20, 1922. The sound boxcomprises a frame 32 having an upwardly extending neck 33 adapted to fitinto an elbow 34 forming the innerend of a speaking tube comprising aflexible tube 35. The frame 32 also carries a downwardly extending lug39 on which a casing 42 comprising a sound chamber is pivotally securedat 40. Connection between the sound chamber 42 and the neck 33 is madeby a sliding tube 44. Casing 42 is closed by a diaphragm which carries astirrup 55 at the lower end of which a recording stylus 56 is secured.

A floating weight 48 is likewise pivotally secured to the lug 39 and ispositioned below the casing 42. A central hole is provided in thefloating weight 48 through which the stirrup 55 may pass. A' reproducingstylus arm 58 carrying a reproducing stylus 59 is pivotally secured by apin 66 in a suitable slot in the floating weight 48. The end of the arm58 opposite to that carrying the reproducing stylus lies at all timeswithin the stirrup 55. The reproducing stylus '59 is positioned slightlybehind the recording stylus withrelation to the direction of advancingmovement of the carriage. The floating weight 48 carries an advance ball80, preferably made of sapphire and having a spherical end portion forcoaction with the record, said ball having a diameter several times thatof the recording or reproducing styli.

The manual control mechanism for controlling the sound box at the arm orcarriage l3 comprises. a lever pivotally mounted in the carriage aboutthe front guide rod IT. The lever 65 has three positions in one of whichthe sound box is conditioned for recording, in another of which thesound box is conditioned for reproducing, and in the third of which thesound box is moved to inoperative or neutral position and the feed nut2i is simultaneously disengaged from feed screw 20. To accomplish thecontrol of the sound box, the lever 65 actuates a pair of dogs H and 12also mounted for rotary motion about the front guide rod H. The dogs Hand "I2 coact respectively with lifting tabs 48 on the floating weight48 and 42 on the casing 42. When the lever 65 is moved to its forwardposition in which the sound box is conditioned for recording, as shownin Fig. 3, both dogs H and 72 are rotated downwardly until they areentirely clear of the lifting tabs with which they cooperate so thatboth the floating weight and said casing are free to rotate in aclockwise direction. The floating weight will therefore move downwardlyuntil the advance ball 85 comes into engagement with the record tabletA. At the same time the casing 42 will likewise rotate downwardly, thestylus 56 and the stirrup 55 passing through the opening in the floatingweight, until the recording stylus 56 likewise engages the record tabletA. It will be noted that the advance ball 86 is positioned slightly inadvance of the recording stylus 56 lengthwise of the record tablet sothat when the mandrel is rotated, the recording stylus will cut a groovein the record material independently of the floating weight, thefloating weight being merely carried along supported by sliding contactof the advance ball and the uncut portion of the record tablet, inadvance of the recording stylus. The floating weight is not used in theoperation of recording and is by this means merely maintained in aposition in which it does not interfere with the recording stylus.

When the control lever 65 is moved into its central or neutral position,both dogs H and 12 are rotated in a clockwise direction and coact withtheir respective lifting tabs 42 and 48' to rotate the casing 42 and thefloating weight 48 upwardly to a position in which both the recordingand reproducing styli and the advance ball are entirely clear of therecord tablet A. At the same time a roller 84 coacts with the head 84 ofa plunger 8| slidably mounted in the carriage 13. The plunger 8| movesbackwardly in engagement with the bracket 85 and thereby moves saidbracket and the feed nut 2| against the pressure of the spring 86 to aposition in which the feed nut is clear of the feed screw 20 whereuponthe carriage may be freely slid along the guide rods. When lever 65 isin any other position than neutral, roller 84 is moved out of contactwith the plunger, thus allowing spring 86 to move feed nut 2! intoengagement with feed screw 20.

When the control lever 65 is moved to its rear or reproducing positionthe dog 72 is maintained in its uppermost position in which it holds thecasing 42 adjacent the frame 32. However, the dog TI is then rotateddownwardly and allows the floating weight to move downwardly. Since therear portion of the reproducing stylus arm 58 lies at all times withinthe stirrup 55 which is held up with the casing 42, the downward motionof the floating weight 48 will impart a counterclockwise rotation to thereproducing stylus arm 56 which will cause the reproducing stylus 59 toengage the record tablet before the advance ball 86 engages it. Byreason of the offset of the recording and reproducing styli, thereproducing stylus engages the record behind the recording stylusrelative to the advancing direction of movementof the carriage. Underthese conditions the floating weight 48 serves to bias the reproducingstylus 59 into engagement with the record and also serves 'to bias'the-other enfd of "the reproduc'ingstylus arm '58 into engagement withthe bottom of thestirrup 55. If, therefore, a vibratory motion isapplied to the stylus 59 by the record groove of tablet A when thelatter'is rotated, such vibratory movement will also be im-;parted-tothe stirrup 55 and "consequently to the 'lever'55 issubstantially the same as that described'in'detail in the Holland patentmentioned above and willnot be repeatedherein. All of the mechanismdescribed so far is well known in the art and is in common use oncommercial phonographs intended for manual control.

It will be noted that the only motion required to change the'sound boxfrom its recording position to its reproducing position is the raisingof the casing 42 which disengages the recording stylus, disengages theadvance ball 89, and engages the reproducing stylus 59. In providing aremotely controllable mechanism for shifting the sound box from itsrecording to reproducing position therefore, anauxiliary lifting dog 95is pivotally mounted about the guide rod I'I adjacent the lifting-dog I2and is freely rotatable independently thereof. The lifting dog 95 isprovided with a nose 95' for coaction with the lifting tab 42 on thecasing 42. The lifting dog '95 is also provided with a shoulder to coactwith a pin 98 which is secured in a disc 91 mounted for 'free rotationabout the guide rod I'I within a boss I5 of the carriage I3. A-coilspring I92 connected to the disc 91 and to the side wall of the boss I5serves to urge the disc 91 in a counterclockwise direction when thecarriage is viewed from the right hand side as in Figs. 3 and 5. Thistends to move the pin 98 away from the shoulder on the lifting dog 95and to allow thelatter to fall to a point in which its nose 9.5 isentirely below and clear of the lifting tab 42'. One end of a connectingrod 99 embraces the pin 98 and is free to rotate thereon. The connectingrod 99 passes toward the rear of the carriage and is supported ina'suitably drilled hole in a bracket I99 secured on the side of thecarriage I3'by suitable screws. The rear end of the connecting rod 99 isadapted undercertain conditions to contact with a spring IIlI mounted ona rocking member II. The rocking member IllI is pinned to a short shaft193 which is journaled in the bracket I99 and in the adjacent side wallof the carriage l3 and is held against longitudinal movement by apair-of collars I96 and IE5 pinned thereon. A cam I I8 'is splined onthe back rod I8 by a pin I8 and moves with the carriage by'reasonof itsconfinement between the bracket 109 and the adjacent side wall of thecarriage 13. The cam H8 is adapted to coact with the rocking memberIIlI. if the back rod I8 is given a clockwise rocking motion withthemachine incondition for recording, the cam I IB will contact with:the rocking arm I91 and will cause it to be rotated forwardly. As aresult of'such rotation the spring 'I9'I will strike the rear end ofconnecting rod 99 and move it forwardly. Forward movement'oftheconnecting rod '99 causes "the 'pin -98 "also to be moved forwardlyagainst the urging of spring I92, to coact with the shoulder on thelifting dog 95, thereby turning said dog so that the nose 95' thereof israised to coact with the lifting tab 42' on the casing 42. The casing 42is thus rotated upwardly, disengaging the recording stylus and theadvanceball from the record tablet and engaging the reproducing stylus59, thereby conditioning the mechanism for reproduction.

The means which causes the necessary rotation of the back rod I8 tostart the operation justdescribed comprises an electro-magnet IIB havinga core H3 and a U-shaped armature III pivoted at II2. A link HIS ispivotally mounted on one side of the armature I I I and'passes upwardlyto a pivotal connection with an arm I'Il secured to the back rod I8. Asimple switch I I5 may be provided at any desired remote point, saidswitch being connected in series with conductors H4, a battery H5, andthe coil of the electro-magnet I Ill. The armature III is normallybiased by gravity to its lowermost position as shown in Fig. 7. Howeverwhen switch I I5 is closed, thuscausing current to flow in theelectro-magnet III), the armature III is attracted upwardly opposite thecore H9 of the electro-magnet and by reason of its connection throughthe link H6 and the arm I II, to the back rod I8, it imparts a rockingmovement to the back rod and thereby conditions the sound box forreproducing in the manner already described.

I It will be noted that, with the construction already described, assoon as the switch H5 is opened and the electro-magnet HIl therebydeenergized, the sound box will tend to returnimmediately to itsrecording position by reason of the movement of pin 98 away from theshoulder on the lifting dog 95, under the influence of the spring I92.In order to maintain the sound box in reproducing position theconnecting rod 99 is provided with a notch 99"into which a pawl I I9 mayfall when the connecting rod 99 is moved forward. The pawl H9 is pivotedon. the bracket I99 .and is urged into engagement with the connectingrod 99 by a coil spring H9 embracing the pivot screw I2'I onwhic-hthe'pawl'ismounted.

The mechanism described above will'upon closure of the switch H5therefore condition the sound box for reproducing and maintain it "inreproducing position so that as the carriage is moved forwardthematterrecorded in the space on the cylinder corresponding to theoffset betweentherecording stylus55 and the reproducing stylus 59will'be reproduced. However in order to make the device entirelyautomaticit is'necessary that the sound box be'reconditioned forrecording whenthe matter recorded has been entirely reproduced. In orderto accomplish this the pawl I I9 is provided with a curved downwardlyextending arm I22 terminating in a bent lug carrying a screw I29. Amarker plate I24 is provided adjacent to'the carriage on its advancingside. The marker plate I24 is provided with an enlarged collar I25embracingthe back rod l8 and having an adjustable spring and plungermounted in a suitable well 829 therein to provide '"adjacent'sidewallof'thecarriage I3, it holds the pawl extension I22 in a positionwhere the pawl I I9 is out of engagement with the connecting rod 99. Itwill be seen that as long as the plate I24 is in contact with the saidside wall of the carriage I3, the pawl H9 will remain in inoperativeposition and will be ineffective for maintaining the sound box inreproducing condition when it is moved thereto by forward motion of theconnecting rod 99. Mechanism is therefore provided to move the markerplate I24 a slight distance in advance of the carriage whenever thesound box is conditioned for reproducing by actuation of the controlswitch H5. This mechanism comprises a cup-shaped member E32 embracingthe shaft H33 and extending through an opening in one side wall ofcarriage I3. The outer end of the cup-shaped member I32 is partially cutaway to provide a shoulder I33 which coacts with the marker plate I24and thus prevents rotational movement of the cup-shaped member I32. Thebottom of the shouldered portion I33 of the cup shaped member I32 abutsthe marker plate I24. The marker plate I24 is held against rotarymovement by a shoulder screw I35 which passes through the marker plateand is threaded into the carriage I3. The cup-shaped member I32 isprovided with a slanting slot I3I with which a pin I39 secured in theshaft I03 coacts. When the back rod I8 is rotated causing cam M3 tocoact with the rocking member IGI and thus move it forwardly and at thesame time rock the shaft M3, the pin #30 will move along the slot I3Iand cause the cup-shaped member I32 to be moved outwardly thus givingadvance spacing movement to the marker plate I24. Under thesecircumstances the pawl III] is free to rotate under the urging of thespring H9 and as the connecting rod 99 is moved forwardly the said pawldrops into the notch 99 thus maintaining the sound box in reproducingcondition. The advance spacing movement imparted to the marker plate I24is approximately equal to the offset of the recording and reproducingstyli.

The operation of the device is as follows: When it is desired todictate, the control lever 65 is moved to its forward or dictatingposition wherein the recording stylus engages the record. When themandrel is revolved, the carriage is moved forward by the cooperation ofthe feed screw 20 and the feed nut 2| and a groove is cut in the record.If it is desired to repeat the last few words which have been dictated,the control switch H5 is closed thus energizing the electromagnet IIIand imparting a rocking movement to the back rod I8. Such rockingmovement of the back rod I8 causes the cam I I8 to be rotated which inturn moves the rocking member IUI forward to contact the connecting rod99 and move the dog upwardly, thus raising the casing 42 andconditioning the sound box for reproducing. At the same time thecup-shaped member I32 is moved outwardly thus moving the marker plate A23 to a position slightly in advance of the carriage and out of contactwith the screw I23 on the pawl extension I22 so that the pawl H9 willfall into the notch 99' in the connecting rod 99 and thus maintain thesound box in the reproducing position. When the mandrel is again rotatedthe last few words dictated will be reproduced by reason of the offsetbetween the recording and reproducing styli. When the carriage has moveda distance approximately equal to the offset between the styli and hasreproduced the last of the recorded matter, the screw I23 will againcontact the marker plate I24 thus withdrawing the pawl I I9 from thenotch 99' and allowing the connecting rod 99 to be moved backwardly byaction of the coil spring I02. The casing 42 will thereupon movedownwardly under the action of gravity and the sound box will thereby beautomatically reconditioned for recording. The dictator may then proceedwith his dictation, the only manipulation required of him in order torepeat the last few dictated words having been a single momentaryclosure of the switch I I5, whereupon as has been described above, thesound box is conditioned for reproducing, and, when the last of therecorded matter has been reproduced, is automatically reconditioned forrecording.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a phonograph, a sound box movable with respect to a record tabletand comprising a recording stylus and a reproducing stylus alternativelyshiftable into record engaging position, said reproducing stylus beingoffset to engage the record at a point rearwardly of said recordingstylus with respect to the forward movement of the sound box, a manualcontrol on the phonograph for effecting shifting of said recordingstylus into record engaging position, a remote control and a mechanismoperable by said remote control independently of said manual control foreffecting engagement of said reproducing stylus with the record tabletfor a predetermined amount of forward movement of said sound boxsubstantially equal to the amount said reproducing stylus is offset.

2. In a phonograph, .a sound box comprising a recording stylus normallybiased into record engaging position and a reproducing stylus normallyout of record engaging position and offset behind said recording styluswith reference to the normal direction of movement of said sound boxwhen recording, means for imparting an advance movement to said soundbox with respect to a record tablet carried by said phonograph,mechanism operable at will for effecting shifting of said recordingstylus out of and said reproducing stylus into record engaging positionat any time during an advanced movement of said sound box, means formaintaining said reproducing stylus in record engaging position afteroperation of said mechanism, and a device movable relatively to saidsound box which when in a certain position relative to the sound boxrenders said means inoperative.

3. In a phonograph, a rotatable mandrel adapted to carry a recordtablet, a sound-box associated with said tablet and normally conditionedfor recording and comprising a recording stylus and a reproducingstylus, said reproducing stylus being offset behind said recordingstylus with reference to an advancing movement of said sound-box withrespect to said tablet, means for imparting such an advancing movementto said sound box, mechanism, operable by remote control at any timewhile said sound-box is advancing, for conditioning said sound box forreproducing, a remote control for operating said mechanism and a devicewhich automatically restores said sound-box to recording condition aftera predetermined interval of reproducing.

HEINRICH F. MAX GRAMANN.

